by Maria Stella

Palm Sunday is one of the most important celebrations of the Catholic Church. It commemorates Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where the faithful welcomed him with palm branches. In Italy, this religious holiday is also an opportunity to gather with family and friends and enjoy spring’s arrival.

Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday celebrated on the first day of Holy Week, culminating with Easter. According to tradition, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, and his followers welcomed him with palm branches and rags spread on the ground. This gesture symbolised the welcome reserved for kings and represented the faithful’s hope in the advent of a new kingdom of peace and justice.

Palm Sunday, a celebration that unites all Catholic churches worldwide, is a day of shared faith and tradition. The faithful take home palm branches blessed in the church as a sign of protection and blessing. In Italy, this holiday also holds cultural and social significance, marking the beginning of spring and the arrival of the good season.

Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, is filled with anticipation and joy. Its significance stems from Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his death. As news of Jesus’ arrival in the city spread, a crowd gathered to greet him. They lined his path with palm leaves, flowering branches, and cloth. Some even took off their cloaks and laid them on the ground. Recognising him as their King, they shouted praises such as “Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord” and “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

Before entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus entrusted his disciples with a significant task. He asked two of them to bring him a donkey’s colt, also known as a colt. This act of obedience and faith was crucial in fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy. Jesus then entered Jerusalem, riding on the colt, as foretold.

Many people came to greet Jesus and lined his path with palm leaves, flowering branches, and cloth. Recognising him as their King, they shouted praises such as “Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord” and “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

Note that since the Old Testament, the waving of palm branches accompanied the singing of “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord.”

Catholics, Orthodox, and some Protestant Churches celebrate the anniversary. The current liturgical calendar of the Roman liturgy is also called De Passione Domini (of the Lord’s Passion) Sunday. However, before the liturgical reform, the Sunday before Palm Sunday was called Passion Sunday, and this Sunday was called “the second Passion Sunday.”

A week after Palm Sunday is Easter Sunday. “On Easter, people sing Hallelujah. Hallelujah means ‘praise the Lord Jehovah,’” said Elder Gong, quoting the Bible Dictionary, “Hallelujah.”

In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week but does not end Lent. Lent ends only with celebrating the ninth hour of Holy Thursday, the day the sacred Easter Triduum begins with the evening celebration.

In memory of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the Palm Sunday liturgy begins outside the church where the faithful gather and the priest blesses the olive or palm branches carried by the faithful. Then, the procession starts inside the church. Once there, the mass celebration continues with the extended reading of the Passio, or the story of the Passion of Jesus taken from the Gospels of Mark, Luke and Matthew, depending on the liturgical year; before the liturgical reform, the text of Matthew was always read. The story of the Passion is read by three people who play the part of Christ (read by the priest), the chronicler (who narrates the story), and the people (including some characters).

On this Sunday, the priest is dressed in red, symbolising the blood of Christ and the martyrs, unlike on all the other Sundays of Lent (except the fourth, when he can wear pink vestments).

Traditions of Palm Sunday in Italy

Palm Sunday is a heartfelt celebration in Italy, especially in the southern regions, where processions and public events are organised. One of the most spectacular events occurs in Sorrento, Campania, where the famous Battenti procession is held. In this ceremony, a group of men dressed in white, the battenti, flagellate their shoulders with wooden wedges as a sign of devotion and penance.

Another typical Palm Sunday tradition is to prepare home altars with olive or palm branches, accompanied by candles and flowers. This is common in Italian families, who gather around the table to have lunch together on this day.

Palm Sunday Delights

Palm Sunday is also an opportunity to enjoy traditional Italian culinary specialities. In many regions, sweets and dishes are prepared using almonds, walnuts, honey, and chocolate. Among the most famous sweets are cassata, Sicilian cannoli, Neapolitan pastiera, and Roman frappe.